Workers Say Electricity Hike Will Result in Wage Cuts, More Dismissals

Okezone - July 12, 2010

Rheza Andhika Pamungkas, Jakarta -- Around 80 workers from the Indonesian Labour Movement Union (PPBI) held a demonstration today demanding the cancellation of basic electricity rate (TDL) hikes that came into effect on July 1.

"Although the TDL for people categorised as poor will not rise, poor people will still be hit by the impact of these TDL hikes", said PPBI chairperson Ata B. Udi in a speech at the Department of Labour and Transmigration in Jakarta on Monday July 12.

According to Udi, the electricity rate increase will result in cuts to employees' wages and numbers. Udi said that some 15,000 workers have already been hit by dismissals because the companies where they work have had to increase efficiency.

"In addition to this, the TDL hike will also impact on other prices, such as basic commodities, building materials, as well as transportation fares such as electric trains", added Udi.

In addition to the Labour Department, the protests also plan to hold a demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circles and the State Palace. "We will be conveying the same demands. If they are not heeded, we promise to bring more demonstrators in coming days", threatened Udi. (ton)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

The Politics of the Poor – Socialism in Indonesia

Alex de Jong

Twelve years after one of the bloodiest military regimes worldwide ended, the radical left still faces a hard struggle in Indonesia. An interview with Indonesian activist Paulus Suryanta Ginting.

I’m a spokesperson for an organisation called Komite Politik Rakyat Miskin – Partai Rakyat Demokratik (Political Committee of the Poor – Democratic People’s Party, KPRM-PRD) Besides work for my organization I have also been active in workers movements in Semarang, Central Java and Sidoarjo, East Java, and in student movements in Jakarta, on Java. In 2004 I was still a member of PRD and I was a member of the board. Later, in 2006, I became the general secretary of the National Student League for Democracy. I was active in the student movement until this year.

Can you tell us something about the daily issues facing people in Indonesia?

A large problem is unemployment – above thirty per cent. Especially workers from the textile industry have been losing their jobs. After 1998 many textile factories in Bandung, Java, went bankrupt because they couldn’t pay for raw materials, imported for example from China, because the Indonesian Rupiah sharply declined in value. After 1998, the import axes on textile from China were abolished or sharply lowered – many Indonesian producers couldn’t compete and went out of business. The Asia China Free Trade Agreement means that many products from China can be imported to Indonesia under no or very low import taxes – and just like with textile, the Indonesian industry has trouble competing with this. Education and health care are also problems form many people who can hardly afford them.

1998 is the year Suharto’s regime ended but why was this also such an economic turning point?

Earlier, Suharto had already made huge debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the end of the nineties, Asia was hit by an economic crisis, caused for a large part by economic speculation. The IMF lend money to Indonesia on the condition it would implement so-called Structural Adjustment Programs. The agreement for these programs was signed by Suharto but these SAP’s were implemented by his successor, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. Habibie also entered into new agreements with the IMF, just like Gus Dur, Megawati Soekarnoputri and the presidents after them, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. These programs meant a drastic liberalization of the Indonesian economy. The Worldbank also made liberalization and deregularization of the economy a precondition for aid. During the Suharto regime, the so-called New Order, Indonesia was quite popular among foreign investors. But Suharto and his cronies had controlled large parts of the economy. Now, everything had to be privatized and government subsidies on health care, education, public transport and food were slashed. This meant that many people had to pay more for these daily needs after the fall of Suharto and the cost of living is rising. When I was studying in Yogyakarta at the turn of the century, a good meal would cost less than 2000 rupiah – now, it would cost you over 4500.

Papua solidarity protest in Yogyakarta and Jakarta calls for end to military operations

Papuans in Yogyakarta demand end to military operations in Puncak Jaya

KRjogja.com - June 21, 2010

Yogyakarta -- Scores of Papuans from the group Solidarity for Papua (SUP) held a protest action at the Yogyakarta monument in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Monday June 21. The demonstrators, most of whom were students, were demanding the lifting of the military operational zone (DOM) status that has been in effect in the Puncak Jaya regency of Papua.

Action coordinator Leksi Degei said that what has been taking place in the Tingginambut district of Puncak Jaya up until now has not been reported by the media. Yet the area has been under the control of the Indonesian military (TNI) and the police (Polri) since June 7.

"We don't know why there was an agreement between the Puncak Jaya II regional government, the Trikora XVII regional military commander and the Papua police on the DOM status in Puncak Jaya. There was no publication in the media there, yet gross human rights violations have already taken place", he explained during a break in the action.

Degei added that they are calling on all groups to open their eyes to what is occurring in Puncak Jaya, where a scorched earth policy is being applied, forcing all Puncak Jaya residents to immediately evacuate the area by June 28 at the latest. It is as if Puncak Jaya residents are being expelled from the land of their own birth.

"All residential areas are being swept by the TNI, many horrible killings have occurred. We are asking for an end to this scorched earth policy and the immediate lifting of the DOM status there", he added.

The demonstrators gave the government a deadline of Saturday June 26 to lift the DOM status. If their demands are not met, they will ask for an authority status to be declared in Papua.

"The SBY [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] government is most responsible for this situation. This action is only an initial notification. Following this, we will hold a much larger national action in Jakarta", said Degei.

During the action, the protesters marched on foot from the Yogyakarta monument to the Yogyakarta central post office. After protesting for about an hour, the demonstrators disbanded under the close supervision of the Yogyakarta district police tactical police unit. (Dhi)

Activist Alliance Calls for Justice and Freedom for Palestine

KRjogja.com - June 3, 2010

Yogyakarta -- Demonstrators from the People's Challenge Alliance (ARM) held a protest action at the University of Gajah Mada (UGM) traffic circle in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Thursday June 3 calling for the world's people to unite against imperialism for the national liberation of Palestine.

Action coordinator Yuni stated that the Israeli blockade is an effort to weaken the Palestinian people's struggle. To this day however, international institutions such as the United Nations and countries such as Indonesia have failed to take a firm stand to accelerate the peace process in Palestine.

"It needs to be understood that the conflict that is taking place between Israel and Palestine is not a religious or racial conflict. Rather it is a conflict of interests over the control of strategic economic assets by international imperialists through Israel as its puppet", said Yuni.

Justice and Freedom for Palestine Now

Joint Statement - June 3, 2010

Stop the slaughter of the Palestine people

Fight Zionism and Israel's political apartheid

Justice and freedom for Palestine now!

Israel's attack on a convey of six ships transporting humanitarian assistance for Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla, in international waters, resulted in the death and injury of civilians from several countries. On one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, carrying 600 civilian passengers, was stormed in the by Israeli soldiers dropped by helicopter in the pitch-black of night, who attacked using live ammunition. Meanwhile, of course, the passengers, although unprepared, were forced to fight back with whatever came to hand.

The Freedom Flotilla was a mission organised by a coalition of organisations from 50 countries aiming to help break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip that has been in place since 2007. Seven hundred civilian activists from 50 countries set out for Gaza with more than 10,000 tons of drugs, food, medical supplies, building reconstruction equipment and other materials that the people of Gaza can no longer obtain. For a year now the people of Gaza have not even had access to clean water and electricity because of the blockade.

How is it not possible that the attack on the Freedom Flotilla is not being condemned as a shockingly brutal and inhuman act, which has trampled on international law and human rights? It is time for the entire world's people to condemn this act of aggression and build solidarity with Gaza until it is liberated and Palestine can stand tall as an independent country.

There can be no democracy or prosperity under imperialism and its agents

Political Committee of the Poor-Peoples Democratic Party Statemen

Commemorating the overthrown of Soeharto, May 21, 2010

Let us unite to overthrow the pro-imperialist government of SBY-Boediono and the rotten political elite. 

Replace them with a United Government of the Poor!

It has been 12 years since the Suharto dictatorship was toppled, overthrown not by the gun, or an elite conspiracy, but by the power of the mobilised people. But after 12 years of reformasi or political reform, power is still not in the hands of the people, rather it is in the hands of the rotten political elite: the fake reformists and the remnants of the Suharto's New Order regime. Does this mean that Suharto's overthrow in May 1998 was meaningless?

No! Absolutely not! The overthrow of Suharto on May 21, 1998 had great significance for the revolutionary process in Indonesia. This is true despite the fact that Suharto's overthrow through mass mobilisation has NOT YET been able to replace the power of the bourgeoisie, and instead the fake reformists and the remnants of the New Order have returned to power with a different face, although the substance is the same, the oppression of the people by the agents of imperialism.

The significant meaning of Suharto's overthrow as part of the unfinished revolution was: a dictatorship was able to be OVERTHROWN by the UNITY and the MOBILISATION OF THE PEOPLE, albeit (only) through populist demands (corruption, collusion and nepotism). May 1998 is clear evidence that MASS ACTION is tangible form of people's power that organises its resistance; an endeavour to liberate the people from their consciousness as "slaves", the "little people" and the "poor". It was from the momentum of Suharto's overthrow that MASS ACTIONS became a CULTURE, a WEAPON, an effective method of mass struggle, albeit one that is spontaneous in character.

After 16 years, Marsinah’s killers Remain Free (Commemorating the Death of Marsinah)

Perempuan Mahardhika National Network (JNPM) Statement - May 8, 2010

Disband the TNI’s territorial command
Liberate Indonesia from capitalism
Arrest and try Marsinah’s killers

Marsinah was a woman worker who was militant and courageous. The worker employed at the PT Catur Putra Surya (CPS) watch factory in Sidoarjo, East Java, was found dead in the Wilangan forest, Nganjuk, on May 8, 1993. Marsinah had not died without reason. The medical examination found that she had died as a result of injuries inflicted during torture. Wounds on her neck and wrists indicated that she had been severely beaten, had suffered internal hemorrhaging and been raped with a blunt instrument before being killed.

Marsinah had been involved in a action together with her co-workers at the factory demanding an increase in the basic wage from 1,700 rupiah to 2,250 rupiah per day and that the government-sponsored yellow trade union the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) be dissolved for failing to side with the working class.

The struggle by PT CPS workers not only attracted opposition from the company but also from the Indonesian military (TNI), in this case the sub-district military command (Koramil), which was mobilised to confront Marsinah and her comrades. Thirteen workers who held the action were arbitrarily arrested by the military. Negotiation between the workers, company management and the Department of Labour were held at the Sidoarjo District Military Command Headquarters (Makodim).

'If Working People Want Prosperity They Must Take Power'

Mahardhika News - May 1, 2010

Vivi W -- Commemorating May Day, 5,000 workers from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) held a protest action in Jakarta today against the pro-capitalist administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono (SBY-Boediono), which have consistently brought suffering to the Indonesian working class.

Carrying a huge billboard reading "The solution for Indonesia: Build national industry, nationalise vital national assets under the people's control, repudiate the foreign debt and fight corruption", the ABM protesters rallied enthusiastically from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta in preparation for a march to the nearby State Palace.

The demonstrators had been gathering in front of the Niko Hotel since 10am. One by one protesters from labour as well as non-labour organisations affiliated with the ABM arrived from other parts of Jakarta and the satellite cities of Bekasi and Tangerang. At 12noon precisely, the demonstrators led by action coordinator Kamal from the Indonesian Transportation Trade Union of Struggle (SBTPI) moved off towards the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and then on to the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

Activists demand police arrest attackers

Jakarta Post - March 29, 2010

Indra Harsaputra , Surabaya -- Activists have accused the police and several religious groups of breaking the law by shutting down a planned congress on sexual orientation in Surabaya, East Java, and by banning conference participants from speaking to the media.

As of Sunday — the deadline given by extremist Islamic groups to foreign participants from 16 countries arriving in the city to attend the 4th regional Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) conference to leave the country — none of the participants have spoken to the press.

Leading gay rights activist Dede Oetomo apologized to journalists for not being able to give a statement, saying the participants’ and organizers’ safety was under threat.

Perempuan Mahardika condemns banning of ILGA congress in Surabaya

Detik.com - March 25, 2010

Support for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) congress that was planned to be held in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya continues to flow in, although there are many that oppose it.

One of the organisations that supports the congress, the Perempuan Mahardika (Free Women) National Network (JNPM) believes that Surabaya municipal district police is acting undemocratically.

"The rejection, banning and criticisms against holding the ILGA congress in Surabaya is a violation of basic human rights and an undemocratic act," said JNPM spokesperson Sharina in a press release received by Detik.com Surabaya on Wednesday March 24.